A MIRACLE was needed for Wrexham to claw back the three-goal deficit from The Racecourse last Thursday and, for a fleeting moment, one actually looked on the cards.

A MIRACLE was needed for Wrexham to claw back the three-goal deficit from The Racecourse last Thursday and, for a fleeting moment, one actually looked on the cards.

If Wrexham’s Gareth Taylor had put away a 19th-minute penalty to make it 2-0 in last night’s Blue Square Bet Premier, play-off semi-final second leg at Kenilworth Road, who knows?

But in the end Luton ran out 5-1 winners on aggregate and Wrexham could have few complaints.

In truth, this tie should have been out of the sight from the first leg as the Hatters raced into a 3-0 lead in the first 34 minutes, had two one-on-ones with Wrexham keeper Chris Maxwell and twice hit the woodwork.

However, Wrexham looked a completely different outfit last night.

Dean Saunders’ men had kept the tie alive by the skin of their teeth and their brave second leg showing at least demonstrated a much better attitude and sense of purpose.

Saunders talked pre-match about the need for Wrexham to get an early goal for his side to stand any chance, and that’s just what he got as early as the eighth minute.

Home supporters were rocked when Adrian Cieslewicz’s low cross found top scorer Andy Mangan at the far post and he side-footed home.

Moments later, Wrexham’s Curtis Obeng beat right-back Ed Asafu-Adjaye and his low cross was turned away for a corner by a nervy home defence with Gareth Taylor threatening to pounce.

But Taylor’s spot-kick was saved by keeper Mark Tyler, who guessed the right way, much to the relief of the home crowd.

Having survived that scare, Luton won a free-kick after 28 minutes and when Wrexham keeper Chris Maxwell misjudged the floated set-piece, Zdenek Kroca looped a header into the empty net.

A near-calamity at the back almost gifted the Hatters the lead early in the second half. Mark Creighton played a short back-pass to his keeper but the ball fell into the path of striker Claude Gnakpa and his shot had to be turned over by Maxwell.

A sweeping Luton move from the right saw Gnakpa cross for Alex Lawless whose side-foot volley was tipped onto the bar by Maxwell with 15 minutes remaining.

The writing was on the wall and, six minutes later, the visitors were outnumbered at the back as Jason Walker chested the ball down before hammering into the roof of the net .

Wrexham gave everything they had and were probably the better side on the night, but in the end the mountain was too high to climb.

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